From the next blog on, the title will be Hot Stove, denoted from the term for the Free Agent Market.

The San Francisco Giants won the franchise's seventh World Series title, and the second since moving to the City by the Bay. Sergio Romo closed out the extra inning victory with a strikeout of Miguel Cabrera, and Pablo Sandoval took home the World Series MVP honors. 

Final Game Scores

Game 1: Giants 8, Tigers 3.

Game 2: Giants 2, Tigers 0.

Game 3: Giants 2, Tigers 0.

Game 4: Giants 4, Tigers 3 (10 innings).

Combined Score: Giants 16, Tigers 6.

Final Postseason Leaders

Offensive: AVG: Pablo Sandoval (Giants), .364. Home runs: Pablo Sandoval, 6. RBI: Pablo Sandoval, 13. Stolen bases: Carlos Beltran (Cardinals) and Nate McLouth (Orioles), 3.

Pitching: Wins: Justin Verlander (Tigers) and Ryan Vogelsong (Giants), 3. K's: Justin Verlander, 29.  ERA: Ryan Vogelsong, 1.09 (24.2 innings, 3 earned runs). Saves: Sergio Romo (Giants), 4.

World Series MVP: Pablo Sandoval

World Series Stats: 3 HR, 4 RBI, .500 AVG (8-16), 3 runs scored.

By the time the first game had come to a close, everyone knew that Pablo Sandoval would take home MVP honors should the Giants win it all. By going 4-4 with three home runs, he had given the San Francisco fans one of the greatest single game World Series performances of all time. All he had to do was cruise to the finish line, going 4-12 (.333 AVG) the rest of the way, all while playing stellar defense. The Panda has become one of the most popular figures in baseball, leading World Series participants in hits (8), home runs (3), RBI (4), AVG (.500), On-Base Percentage (.529), Slugging Percentage (1.125), and On Base + Slugging (1.654), while also tying for the lead in games (4), at bats (16), and runs (3).

World Series Defining Moment: Ryan Theriot/Marco Scutaro

Game 4, Top 10th, 2 Outs.

If Sandoval had hit his three home runs later in the series, but Ryan Theriot crossing home plate in the top of the tenth inning of Game Four has to be the defining moment. With the game tied 3-3 with two outs, runners on first and second, and freezing rain falling down from the Michigan skies, Marco Scutaro blooped a ball into center field, just in front of Austin Jackson. Theriot hustled around third, and beat a late throw from Jackson to take a 4-3 lead in what would be the decisive run of the World Series. Closer Sergio Romo upheld the lead by striking out all three Tigers he faced–Austin Jackson, Don Kelly, and Miguel Cabrera–to finish the game. Congratulations, San Francisco Giants.

Stay tuned for my next blog, which is one of my favorite to write: The Hot Stove Preview. 

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Teams followed in this update: Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Colorado Rockies

If your team is not included, please leave a comment.

HR: home runs. RBI: runs batted in. AVG: batting average. SB: stolen bases. ERA: earned run average. WHIP: walks/hits per innings pitched. K's: strikeouts. WPCT: winning percentage

Zack Silverman